March 15, 2009

Soymilk

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warm freshly made soymilk: so good

We have been buying soymilk since forever and only recently noticed that most brands have additives such as sugar to mask the "beany" flavor and xanthan gum or carageenan for a creamier texture. Making soymilk was never in my must-make list until I saw and clicked on an ad for soymilk maker. I didn't know these makers are available for soymilk enthusiasts. Searching online for making soy milk without a machine, I found a lot of websites including Martha Stewart teaching how to make soymilk at home.

I happen to have a 32-ounce bag of soy beans sitting in the pantry, I can't remember why I bought it. Maybe it was waiting to be made into milk. After one sip of the still warm delicious plain no-sugar milk, I am convinced homemade soymilk tastes superior to the ones in cartons. The milk has the slight beany taste of silken tofu which is why I love it. I noticed that unlike the store-bought there are no grits at the bottom of my cup and in the jar. The thickness can also be adjusted to individual preference.

Here's a a how-to video


For a little more than a liter of soymilk you will need:
1 cup dried soy beans
water
blender
a large piece of washed and dried muslin or fine cheesecloth
tall stock pot
sieve
2 large bowls
heat-proof spatula
pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon raw sugar, if desired
  • Rinse soybeans, drain, and add water to cover 2 inches over the beans. Soak beans overnight at room temperature. The next day, drain the water, rinse twice, and drain very well. Hull the beans, if preferred. Place half of the beans with double the amount of water in the blender and blend on high for 2 minutes. Transfer into a large bowl. Remove all the foam on top with a small sieve. Repeat with the rest of the beans.
  • Place a sieve on top of another bowl, line with the muslin. Pour the liquid through the muslin and let drip into the bowl. Gather the corners of the muslin and twist the top. Press to extract as much liquid as possible.
  • Boil 1 cup of water in the stockpot, add the extracted liquid, add salt and sugar if using, and over high heat let the mixture come to a boil, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom. Turn down the heat to medium and simmer the milk for 25 minutes. Stir down the foam as it rises until it dies down. Transfer into a clean jar, cover, and refrigerate.

dry soy beans, soaked and hulled beans, simmering soymilk, okara, toasted okara

In making soymilk at home I also learned about okara, the pulp left in the cheesecloth after straining the liquid, which I will use for baking breads; and accidentally soybean skin (yuba). I removed the skin that formed on top of the cooking milk, ate it when it had dried a little, and it tasted exactly like the vegetarian dish we always have at our favorite Chinese restaurant. By boiling the milk and collecting the skin until all the milk is used up, I might be able to recreate my favorite Chinese dish at home. That will be my next project.:-)

5 comments:

Lori Lynn said...

Very interesting. I bet it tasted better, you made it from scratch. Gosh I would never think to make it myself. Kudos to you.
LL

Anonymous said...

If only I have half your patience :D. My little boy drinks soymilk only coz he has allergies with cow's milk....costs more kaya it would be nice to learn this, thanks!

Oggi said...

Lori Lynn, thanks.

G, it's very cheap if you think about it. A liter of homemade costs less than 50 cents.:)

James said...

My mom-in-law makes soymilk that way - it tastes much better and the flavors are more well-rounded than what you get at the grocery store. Dau hu gung is one of my fave Vietnamese desserts - when we visited VN there was an old lady that would walk by my grandma's house every morning selling it for breakfast. The best breakfast ever!

Oggi said...

James, if Dau Hu Gung is dessert, it must be soft and creamy with syrup or sugar.

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